Dangerous Beginnings
by Miss-Fourtune
Summary: Blank and Zidane get sent out to do a job together that Zidane isn't entirely prepared for, where he ends up more involved than he'd like. Mature rated for later chapters and yaoi. Some humor mixed with some romance and drama.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi there! This is Miss-Fourtune! This is my first upload to , so please forgive anything I've done wrong with the uploading or whatnot haha. **

**This story is not really finished being planned, but there are mild yaoi moments and may be some more later on. It depends on my mood near the end, hehe!**

**As for uploading, I will be uploading a new chapter every Wednesday until the story is completed at which time I will upload a chapter each day =]**

**So the other author's notes won't be as long, but I just wanted to introduce the story a bit. It is a Final Fantasy IX fanfic about Blank and Zidane when they are a little younger. I have also seen Blank as being a few years older than Zidane, two years in this case, so please keep that in mind. NOW! I'll shut up so you can read the story. Enjoy! **

*******

Blank just stared at the blonde on his bed. He didn't understand why Zidane would be in his room and not his own, but he shrugged it off. Placing the ingredients he had collected in his cabinet, he undressed himself enough to be comfortable. His gaze shifted back to his bed.

He debated on waking Zidane up, but a closer look at him dismissed that idea. His hair was strewn across his face, like he had just fallen over and passed out. Even the way he was sprawled across the bed was haphazard. The blankets were under him, he hadn't bothered to crawl under them before falling asleep.

That's when Blank started to suspect he hadn't simply fallen asleep.

Carefully, he sat down on the bed, leaning over the blonde. He examined him carefully and found that he wasn't hurt anywhere. Relieved, he put a hand on Zidane's shoulder and shook him gently.

This was Blank's mistake for the morning. Zidane sat up quickly, bent over the side of the bed, and threw up without grace. Unbeknownst to Blank, Zidane and Marcus had been up drinking all the night before, and Zidane passed out in Blank's room thinking it was his own.

"Ew..." Blank stated simply.

"S-sorry..." Zidane struggled back onto the bed, clutching at his stomach.

Blank sighed, fetching a cool cloth for Zidane's head, a bucket, and a mop. He cleaned up the mess his friend had made while Zidane was sick again in the bucket Blank had given him.

"So what did I miss?" Blank asked, putting the mop in a bucket of water and placing the cloth over his friend's head.

"One hell of a night," the blonde grinned, "You should've seen how much Marcus drank! Geez, it musta been double what I had at least!"

"Yeah?" Blank asked, a little upset he had missed the fun, "Should I go make sure he's alright?" he added, handing Zidane a small vial of a blue liquid that would help diminish his hangover.

"You might wanna," Zidane nodded, chugging the vial "He'd be worse than me for sure."

Blank sighed. He had been travelling all night to get back from Alexandria and here he's welcomed with two drunken friends who left him out of the fun and a bed that's already been taken over. Grudgingly, he pulled another little vial out of his cabinet. Making sure Zidane wouldn't hurt himself, he left to find Marcus.

He looked in his room first, but no one was there. A second later, he figured out where Marcus was from the loud retching and groaning in the bathroom. With a sigh, Blank trudged over to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"You alive?" he asked simply.

"Barely," came the grunted reply "You got something for me?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if I wanna give you it. You guys left me out of all the fun last night."

"Haha yeah there were girls and everything..."

"You aren't helping your case."

The door opened and Marcus stood shirtless in the doorway, looming over Blank. He stared down at him almost defiantly and then fell to his knees and tugged on the rogue's arm.

"Come on!" he begged, "It's killin' me!"

Blank smiled down at him "Yeah?"  
"YEAH!" Marcus groaned, letting go of Blank's arm to clutch at his gut.

With a sigh, Blank handed him the vial "You're such a baby." he stated simply.

"Yep!" Marcus agreed, taking the vial and closing the bathroom door in his face.

With a flat expression, Blank turned and headed back to his own room. He needed some sleep, if he could get any.

*****

**End Note: Any and all constructive and positive feedback is appreciated, but please no flaming or being rude. I don't ever plan on being rude to any of you, so I would appreciate the same courtesy. Thanks very much all! =] **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: SO! I would like to apologize for the shortness of my first two chapters and I would like to assure you that the third is much longer. Promise! Please bare with me, haha, it does get better. Thanks! **

*******

When he got back to his room, Blank found Zidane curled up under his blankets, snuggling a pillow. _When he does stuff like that,_ Blank thought, _it really shows how young he actually is. He definitely doesn't act fourteen._

With a sigh, he simply crawled into bed beside the blonde. He lay with his back facing him and tried to relax. His mind wandered to random thoughts for a while as he hit the point between consciousness and sleep that always made him feel a little dizzy. Just as he was passing that line into sleep, he was snapped back into consciousness by the door being kicked open.

Both boys sat up fast, Zidane leaning towards Blank so as not to fall off the bed. In the doorway stood Baku, the leader of their group called Tantalus. He had a wide grin on his face and he laughed loudly as he looked around the room.

"Nice to see you're back Blank, you two look comfortable!" he laughed again "I thought you were into Ruby, Blank? Didn't know you liked it the other way... Then again I shoulda seen it coming! Gwahaha!" he roared with laughter and leaned against the wall.

Blank sighed as Zidane groaned and flopped back on the pillows, "What do you want?" he asked rubbing his eyes under his headband.

"I've got some work for you two." Baku grinned as the two boys slumped dramatically, "Don't worry it's easy enough!"

Zidane sat up and glared at the big man "Yeah right!"

"You don't believe me?"  
"No! When you say something's easy it ends up being ten times as hard as normal things!"

"Gwahaha you're funny," Baku grinned "Just get up and get dressed, you gotta get going now."

"Now!?" Blank exclaimed upset.

"Now!" Baku laughed again, leaving and slamming the door.

"He sure is hard on those hinges..." Zidane commented as the door shuddered under the force of Baku's slam.

"Yeah you're telling me." Blank glared at the door. He then sighed and lifted himself from his bed and started to get dressed, "You should go get ready. He gets angry easily."

Zidane stretched "Yeah alright," he shrugged, his tail twitching. The blonde lifted himself from the bed, stretching the whole way, and casually made his way out the door. He was dragging his feet slightly and Blank sincerely hoped that Baku didn't see him so sluggish, or else he'd teach him a lesson.

*

Zidane stood next to Blank, who was very tired still. Smiling at his blonde companion, Blank sighed.

"At least I can sleep on the way there," Blank commented, stretching.

Zidane grinned and hugged his friend around the middle while his arms were still up, "You're such a wuss Blank!" he laughed.

"Yeah but I'm the wuss who can kick your ass, monkey butt," Blank shrugged Zidane off and climbed into the airship Cinna would drive for them. They were heading to Treno, just when Blank was getting used to being back in Lindblum.

Cinna was already waiting for them on deck. He sighed when they climbed up, "Took you long enough!" he complained.

"Yeah well Baku woke Zidane and me from very nice sleeps," Blank explained, heading down below deck, "I'm going back to bed, so please, take your time getting to Treno."

Cinna rolled his eyes and proceeded into the control room, starting the airship on its journey. Zidane watched Blank go below deck and soon followed suit. He wasn't very tired anymore, but he really had nothing better to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wonderful! Finally another chapter! I've decided to start uploading two at a time if they're short, so now the next one is up too! =) Please enjoy, and thank you for sticking with me! Promise it's getting more interesting =)**

*******

After locking the door behind him, Blank stripped down and climbed under the covers in one of the rooms below deck. He snuggled in, putting a pillow over his head to drown out the noises of the ship, and began to drift off. Just as he was falling asleep, he thought he heard the doorknob rattling, but it was too late for him to investigate as he was already out cold.

While Blank slept, Zidane had picked the lock and snuck in. He looked around, but there were no light sources, so he had no idea what the room looked like. He could see where the bed was from the light seeping in through the crack in the door, but that was about it. Closing the door gently, he slid his boots off so his footsteps would be softer and crept over to the bed. Careful not to move anything too much, he crawled in beside Blank but kept his distance so he didn't touch him and wake him.

A little while passed and Zidane soon found himself becoming sleepy. The blankets were warm and heavy, and he felt very comfortable. As he started drifting off, he migrated closer and closer to Blank. By the time he fully fell asleep, Zidane found himself curled up to Blank's back and very happily so.

*

Cinna stopped the airship just outside Treno and went below deck to awaken his two passengers. He wasn't sure what room they were in, but knew there was one Blank was used to, so he checked there first. Sure enough, that was the room they were occupying. Walking in, he caught his foot on something and bent down to pick it up. He pulled it off his foot and lifted it to the light, surprised to see he had picked up Blank's bottoms.

After lighting up the room, Cinna turned and scanned the room to see if he could find Zidane's clothes too. The blonde's boots were sitting close to the door, but the only other clothes on the floor seemed to be Blank's entire outfit. He chuckled, trying not to just burst into laughter and kicked the bed.

Blank woke slowly, a little disoriented now that the airship was not moving. He was confused because he had remembered locking the door. Although all the boys of Tantalus could pick nearly any lock, they learned that if the door is locked, it's locked for a reason, and you should at least knock before you burst in on something you really might not want to see.

Zidane on the other hand awoke fast. As he was not tired when he fell asleep, it was not hard for him to wake up. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at Cinna.

"Yes?" Zidane asked groggily.

That was when Blank clued in as to why Cinna didn't bother knocking. The door wasn't locked to begin with. He also realized that the weight and material he felt against his back a second ago was the blonde, not the pillow he had tossed away sometime in his sleep. Now he was very uncomfortable.

Cinna was still trying to contain his laughter, "So, you really do like Blank, eh Zidane?" he asked with a chuckle, "I thought Baku was just being a loud mouth when he said he caught you two in bed earlier!"

Blank groaned as Zidane sat up confused, "We were just sleeping in the same bed, what's so bad about that?"  
With a grin Cinna shrugged "Earlier? Nothing. Now? Well there's the lack of clothing to be considered."

The little blonde looked very confused, looked down at Blank, then at the clothes strewn all across the floor. He realized what Cinna was talking about and jumped out of the bed as fast as he could without pulling the blankets off of Blank.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry I didn't realize-"

Blank sat up, the blankets around his waist, groaning "It's fine... now get out."

"Yeah," Cinna laughed, "Let him get dressed, unless you wanna stay and watch. Don't be too long though, we're here."

With another laugh, Cinna walked out, closely followed by Zidane.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alrighty! Here's the fourth! =) please enjoy! This one is longer =)**

*******

When the boys entered Treno, Cinna left Blank and Zidane to their work and drifted off to a tavern. Zidane looked around, having only been to Treno a few times, and re-familiarized himself with his surroundings. Blank was already talking to someone, and Zidane waited for the other man to leave before approaching him again.  
"So what are we doing anyways?" he asked, trying not to act awkward from what had happened earlier.

Blank stretched "Well first we have to get to the part of Treno that the rich folks aren't known to be in, then we can start from there."  
Zidane nodded, "Alright, but isn't it a little late to do anything?" he asked, looking up at the sky and judging it to be close to two in the morning.

"Are you kidding me? Night time is the best time to find the people we want to see," Blank grinned, heading down to the shadier streets, "Besides, if we go to bed now, we'll never sleep normally again."

Zidane wasn't entirely sure how Blank's logic worked, but he shrugged it off and followed close behind. They were heading into the parts that Zidane was used to going through with Baku, especially when he was drinking. Looking around, he spotted shady characters, thieves like them, and maybe worse...  
He kept close to Blank, not wanting to admit he was a little uneasy. After all, he was still very young. He was allowed to be a little nervous when he was playing with the big boys, wasn't he?

Blank stopped outside a run-down looking home and knocked. A squirrely looking man opened the door shortly after, grumbling. His grumbling went away as soon as he spotted Blank and his somewhat grease-smudged face broke out into a grin.

"Well! There you are!" he exclaimed laughing, "I figured ya's were probably dead if ya weren't here soon!"

Blank grinned "Sorry Murph, we left a little later than we were supposed to apparently. So, Baku said you have the details on our job?"

Murph nodded "Yep," he nodded a little grimly, moving back into the house and inviting them in, "I was actually a little surprised Baku agreed to this one, then I got a look at what he's gettin' paid for it AND why it has to be done... It was real clear after that, let me tell you..."  
Zidane followed Blank inside and into a cluttered dimly lit room with an old rectangle table and some splintery chairs set in the center. Murph sat down and pulled some papers out of a hidden drawer in the table's frame and set them on the table. Blank followed suit, sitting across from him, and Zidane took a seat next to Blank.

Murph sorted through the papers and handed one to Blank. On it, there was a very well done sketch of a snooty looking nobleman. His eyes were narrow, and even in the sketch he seemed sinister. Below were listed a number of felonies he was never actually convicted for. _The benefit of having cash_, Zidane thought.

"Lord Braughn," Murph explained, pointing to the name at the top of the sheet.

Blank looked down the list, and tilted it away from Zidane slightly, "This guy is sick..." he commented, his headband raising slightly, "And he got away with all this?"

"Yup," Murph leaned back in his chair, "And he still is. No one stops 'im. He's got enough cash to keep 'em quiet, y'know?"

Blank nodded and looked down the rest of the paper.

Zidane leaned up, trying to get a peek at the list, but Blank pulled it away again, "Why can't I see?!" he pouted, "I'm mature enough!"

Blank stared at him for a moment, considering him, "No. You aren't," he commented simply, handing the paper back to Murph and getting a displeased stare from the blonde. He turned his attention back to Murph, "So what's our job?"

Murph handed over the rest of the stack of papers, "This is a list of everythin' he does, every minute of each day of the week. He has a very set out schedule. Now the problem is that he's not usually alone unless he's doin' somethin' nasty and wrong, so it's gonna be tough to get a hold on 'im. You may need a decoy, some bait 'er sumthin..."

Blank seemed to have caught on to what they were supposed to do, but Zidane still sat in his chair clueless. Tired of being out of the loop, he piped up.

"Get him alone to do what?" he asked confused.

They both looked at him, "Well to snuff 'im out of course," Murph said as though it were obvious, "T' kill 'im." Murph leaned closer and whispered this last, trying to spook the blonde a bit.

It worked.

Zidane didn't let it show, though. He had to be tough, or they'd never let him live it down. He'd learned that fast when he first joined Tantalus. Instead he just scoffed at the sinister thought.

"Is that it?" he asked.

Murph laughed, "Yup, simple aint it?"

They spent the rest of the night discussing their plan of action with Murph, using his intel to figure out the best plan, and the best way to get rid of him. They decided that they would definitely need bait, though Zidane was still unclear as to what they needed for bait. Once Braughn had taken this bait, they would take him by surprise and cleanly cut his throat while he was distracted.

Morning came around, and Murph decided it was time for him to get some sleep, left the stack of papers to the two boys, and told them to lock the door on their way out. Blank held the door open for Zidane as they left and headed to one of the less frequented inns. The blonde watched as Blank paid for a room and followed him up the rickety stairs to the right door.

Zidane flopped on one of the dusty beds right away, glad to be lying down. Blank sat on the other bed and scanned over the papers.

"I'm not sure this bait idea is a good thing..." he mused to himself.

"Why not?" Zidane asked, "Sounds simple enough to me!"

"The problem isn't it being complicated, the problem is finding a girl to go along with it, and it's really dangerous, so I'm not sure I actually want to find one to do it."  
Zidane was intrigued now that he was finally learning more about the plan, "What do we need a girl for?" he asked bluntly, "Why can't one of us be bait?"

Blank stared at him and broke out into laughter, "You volunteering then?" he asked through his laughter.

"Well no! I don't even know what I'd be bait for!"

Blank stopped laughing, "Well I guess you'll have to know what's so sick about him then," he sighed and set the papers beside him, "Braughn seems to like girls, younger girls..."  
"Who doesn't?" Zidane grinned, not realizing the seriousness of the situation.

Blank shook his head, "No no, I don't mean that he likes them and it's harmless like most people, he actually does something about it. He seems to like raping them and usually they end up dead."

Zidane now had a lump in his throat, wishing he hadn't asked, "O-oh..." he looked away, "I see why you don't wanna get a girl in danger like that..."

Blank nodded, observing his friend closely.

"What?" the blonde asked, sensing his gaze.

Blank grinned, "You know, you have a really cute figure," he commented, observing the blondes smaller, smooth body.

Zidane blushed, "You're kidding me..." he sat up straighter "I will not!" he protested, turning redder.

"You wanna get some poor girl in danger just to kill someone?"

The blonde sighed and looked uneasy, "What do I have to do?"

Blank smiled and started explaining the whole plan to him again.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter 5 anyone? Please enjoy, the plot starts to move forward a little faster and a little more happens... as some would say 'the plot thickens' har har =]**

*******

"Blank I'm uncomfortable," the little blonde next to him said, the bright blue eyes shining up from under blonde bangs, the rest of the blonde hair pulled into pigtails at the side of the head.

"You'll survive," Blank replied, examining the white and blue frilled dress that caressed the small chest and expanded like a short hoop skirt at the hips, "You look wonderful."  
"These shoes are too small," the blonde complained, looking down at the blue almost ballerina-esque slippers with the laces strung up around the white thick stocking clad thighs.

"Like I said, you'll survive Zidane," Blank smiled, touching the blonde's cheek, "You look so cute, I'm almost tempted to take you myself!"

Zidane's eyes widened in feigned fear, "B-but, sir," he whined in his best girly voice, "I... I don't know you very well..."

Blank jumped and moved away "Don't do that, you're too good at it."

Zidane laughed, "Good I'm convincing. So do you want to come with me then, and I'll meet this Lord Braughn? And taunt him with my little girly body?"  
Blank laughed "You're fourteen, you're allowed to be small and girly!"

The blonde sighed and walked out of the room they were occupying at the inn and stopped to bat his eyelashes at a man coming down the stairs across from their room. He was satisfied and tried not to laugh as the man proceeded to trip over himself wide-eyed and stumble the rest of the way to the door. Blank walked out to see his friend giggling silently, and raised an eyebrow. Shrugging it off, he led Zidane out the door and down to the alley that Braughn walked through each night to get back to his home.

"You'll be close, right?" the blonde asked, showing the first signs of nervousness he'd let show all night.

"Of course! If anything goes wrong, I'll jump in right away," Blank reassured him with a quick kiss on the cheek.

Zidane watched as Blank walked a little ways away and turned the corner into a side street. He looked up after a minute and noticed a human shaped figure on the roof of a close building and assumed it was Blank. With his heart beginning to pound in his chest, he kneeled down and occupied himself with adjusting his shoes so they didn't feel so tight. They fit fine, but he was used to boots, not something that fit this snugly.

Just as he almost had his right shoe feeling as comfortable as his left, a deep voice sounded above him.

"Well hello there," it sounded sugar coated and fake, "I've never seen you around before, what's a young girl doing out here all alone?"

Zidane stood up quickly to find himself staring up into the dark eyes of the man from the picture, Lord Braughn. He was much more disturbing in reality, his hair seemed greasy, and his smile sent more frightening vibes than the calming ones he was trying to emit.

"I-I'm in town visiting my aunt," Zidane flustered girlishly and shyly.

Lord Braughn smiled widely, "Perhaps you should get yourself back home? Oh! Forgive my manners!" he bowed deeply, "I am Lord Braughn, it's a pleasure to meet you young miss. You may have heard of me?"

_Oh, I`ve heard more about you than I`d ever wanted to know,_ Zidane thought while politely shaking his head, "My aunt has never mentioned you, and I'm from a small town, so I don't know many nobles," he commented, trying to sound breathless and impressed.

"Oh? Well how would you like me to walk you home?" he offered, smiling down at the small blonde.

"I'm actually just staying at the inn by myself," Zidane explained as he was instructed, "But you could walk me there?"

Braughn seemed overjoyed to hear this information and agreed to take 'her' home. As he was leaving Zidane at the door, he took his hand.

"It was nice to meet you, but I never caught your name," he smiled.

"My name's Emmy," Zidane smiled, coming up with a name on the spot.

"My pleasure, Emmy!" Braughn kissed the blonde's hand, "I hope to see you around."  
Zidane nodded and hurried into the inn and up to their room to find Blank standing just behind the door.

"WOAH!" he jumped backwards a bit as Blank grabbed him and pulled him inside.

"Emmy?" he asked with a smirk.

"It's the best I could come up with on short notice! You didn't give me a name!"

"I'm sorry," Blank laughed, "Now come on and get that off, we'll go to bed and figure out what to do next in the morning."  
"God, thanks! I can't wait to get out of these freaking panties! Why were they necessary again?"

"Because I like to bother you sometimes," Blank grinned as Zidane hurled a pillow at him, while turning red.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for uploading early, but as it's March Break, there's a chance I won't be here to upload this chapter tomorrow! Enjoy!**

*******

The next morning Zidane found he was unwilling to get out of bed. Blank was nudging him insistently and whispering in a sugar coated voice to get up. The sweetness in Blanks voice, coupled with the nudges made Zidane a very sour monkey this morning.

"What!?" he fumed angrily "What the hell do you want?!"

"Relax, it's just time to get up is all, don't you want to get breakfast? I'm sure Lord Braughn is going to want you to join him," Blank smiled, trying not to laugh.  
"I don't want to join him, he's creepy," the blonde stated, rolling over to try and sleep again.

"Well too bad. If you get up now, I won't make you wear the panties," Blank tempted him.

"..... Okay fine."

Zidane lifted himself sluggishly out of bed and stretched, reaching for the dress he had worn the day before. He was still unhappy to be wearing it, but it felt a lot more comfortable without the frilly, girly underwear Blank had forced onto him last night. He pulled his hair into two little pigtails again and Blank pushed him down on the bed.  
"WAH!" Zidane jumped "Hey I thought he was the rapist, not you!"

Blank laughed, "I'm going to make you up," he stated simply, "I want you to look super pretty. If all goes well, we're taking him out tonight."  
Zidane sighed and nodded as he let his friend put all the girly necessities on his poor face. When Blank was finished, you couldn't even tell the blonde was a boy. The only hint was under his dress, and if they had their way, no one would get the chance to discover _that_.

Blank walked a few paces behind the blonde as he sauntered down the stairs in his girliest fashion. Zidane was hoping Blank was wrong about Braughn wanting him to join him, but unfortunately he was sitting at a table near the bottom of the stairs. When he noticed the blonde, his face lit up like a candle.

"Ah! Hello there young miss Emmy. I dropped by to see if you would like to join me for breakfast?"

_Spot on Blank,_ Zidane thought _Couldn't you have been wrong for once?_

"Well, my aunt and her husband are out of town for the day, so I guess since I'm all alone today anyways, I can go with you," the blonde commented, noticing the Lord's face become more eager and sinister.

"Splendid!" he beamed, "Well why don't I take you somewhere expensive then? As a treat?"

Zidane forced a blush "But I don't have any money," he pouted.

"I'll pay, I have plenty."

"Oh? I don't want to be a bother though."

"Not at all! Come now!" the Lord grinned and stood up, offering the blonde his arm.

Zidane took it and let the twisted man lead him out of the inn, peeking over his shoulder as they went out to see if Blank was following. Sure enough, after they had been out of the inn a few minutes and made their way up the street, Blank exited the inn.

*

Lord Braughn took the blonde to such an expensive restaurant that there was a small chandelier over every table. Although Zidane knew the noble was just trying to impress and wow him with all of it, he couldn't resist genuinely being impressed. As he looked around, he was sure to gawk in awe at anything he saw that was uncommon for the less rich folk to see. He could tell he was pleasing Braughn by the nasty smile he wore so perfectly.

"What will you have dear?" Braughn asked Zidane, snapping him out of his daze.

"Oh... eggs?" he asked shyly.

"You can order anything you like you know, I'm paying."

"Oh, I couldn't!" the blonde blushed turning away.

"Of course you can! Here, let me order for you then!"

The noble beckoned a waiter to their table and ordered everything and anything on the menu that was very pricey. Even the waiter seemed surprised he was ordering so much for himself and a little girl who seemed like she'd be happy with anything. As he was heading into the kitchens, he paused to talk to another waiter on his way out. They both looked over at the blonde, almost worriedly, and went back to work.

Zidane was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. He wished he knew where Blank was and could only wait to get out of the restaurant to see if he had been able to follow them. When the food reached the table, the blonde ate a little fast.

"Why such a hurry dear?" Braughn asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," Zidane paused to blush, "Well, I wanted to look around the town before my aunt and uncle come back. I'm not actually sure when they'll be here, so I want to get it done while I can."

Braughn chuckled and nodded "Of course! You really shouldn't walk around alone though, why don't I accompany you today? I can show you all the nice places around town as well."

The blonde desperately wanted to refuse but found himself agreeing in spite of the nauseous feeling rising from the pit of his stomach. He made a note to tell Blank the next time they spoke that he never wanted to be bait like this again. It made him too uncomfortable, especially the dress.

Once the breakfast was done, Zidane waited impatiently as Braughn talked to the waiter about nothing in particular, tipping him generously. He kept glancing at the door, and Braughn must have caught on as they were soon outside in the streets.

"Anywhere in particular you wanted to see?" he asked the blonde.

"No not really, I want to see everywhere," Zidane commented, looking around to try and find Blank. He could feel his pulse quicken as he kept searching and not finding his companion.

"Well let's start to our left then," Braughn smiled, offering Zidane his arm.

Zidane took it nervously, though he made it look like he was shy, and looked around one last time for Blank. Not seeing him, he had a sinking feeling as the noble tugged him away.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Noooow we're getting more into the story haha. I'm very eager to get this story finished haha. I'm getting close! Please enjoy!**

*******

"Oh would you look at the time?" Braughn commented, looking at a large clock on the side of a newer building, "It's late in the evening!"

Zidane wanted to sigh and tell him that when the moon is up, it's clearly evening, but held his tongue, "Oh, time sure flies when you're having fun," he giggled.

The blonde had spent the whole day getting a tour of Treno. The noble was dawdling, and Zidane could tell, talking about everything in great detail and slowly. The blonde knew that he was stalling so that night would fall and he could take Zidane somewhere no one would bother them. They hadn't stopped for supper however, and now a loud growl could be heard from the blonde's gut.

"Oh! We haven't had supper!" Braughn exclaimed, acting like he wasn't aware of the fact, "Why don't you come to my place and we'll have a nice meal and then I'll walk you home, hm? Sound nice?"

_No you fucking pervert, it doesn't_ Zidane thought, very nervous as he hadn't seen Blank all day. He still managed to respond with a polite yes, however and soon found himself whisked away to a large mansion closer to the back exits of the town.

Even Braughn's house was creepy. It was built from a dark grey stone and had gargoyles on the top of the towers on the sides of the house. Zidane was just waiting for the lightning to strike and the rain to start pouring down on him. It reminded him of a horror play Tantalus had once performed. He was led inside quickly to find that there were very few servants around the house. The long entrance hall was empty and silent, only the cooks were in the kitchen. As the blonde was lead into the dining room, he found that they had already prepared a feast and set it out on the long rectangular table.

Zidane sat at the opposite end of the table as Lord Braughn and looked around. He tried to seem awed, not frightened, but there was a fine line at the moment.

"Please, help yourself," Braughn smiled from across the table, "There's plenty as you can see."

"Don't you have a family?" Zidane asked curiously.

"No, actually. I've been a bachelor all my life."

_I wonder why,_ the blonde thought, helping himself to a large chicken leg. He tried to eat with proper manners, but found himself wanting to just tear into the leg with his teeth. Still, he forced himself to use the knife and fork.

Throughout the dinner, Zidane tried to keep his mouth full to avoid having to speak. The noble tried to make conversation, but the blonde answered shortly and quickly and continued eating. Although he was sure he seemed as though he'd been starved all his life, his nerves were making it tough to stay composed. The absence of blanks presence throughout the day made him wonder if something had gone wrong. He sincerely hoped not.

Once the plates were cleared from the table, the cooks were dismissed to their quarters, leaving Zidane alone with the noble.

"Would you like a tour of my home?" Braughn offered, standing up from his place at the table.

"I... I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome," Zidane smiled uneasily.

"No no! Come now! I insist!"

With a sugary smile, Braughn lifted Zidane from his seat by the elbow. He tugged him gently into the entrance hall where men in armour were now stationed. Zidane looked around a little surprised.

"I hired some guards," Braughn smiled, "There seems to be some people who don't like me around here, so I decided it would be a good idea to be safe."

Zidane nodded and let himself be led around the house, around all the wings, to the different rooms, and finally to the noble's bedroom. He was very uneasy now, worried about what might happen if Blank didn't show up soon. Braughn held the door open for the blonde, and he walked in a little reluctantly.

"This is my room," the noble explained, trying to lock the door discreetly although the blonde still caught it.

"Your bed is huge!" Zidane exclaimed, trying to seem relaxed.

"Well it's very comfortable as well. Why don't you try it out?"

Zidane glanced over his shoulder at Braughn. He was smiling sweetly, trying to seem kind and welcoming. All the blonde felt was unease and discomfort. Slowly, Zidane walked over to the bed. He climbed up onto it, sitting on his knees and smiling.

"It really is!" he giggled.

"Why don't you lay down? You'll really notice it then."

Zidane watched Braughn for a moment, noticing that he was undoing the buttons on his sleeves. The blonde laid back onto the pillows and found that they really were incredibly comfortable. The comfort of the bed, however, did not get rid of the discomfort of the knowledge that the noble was undressing. When he had removed his upper clothing completely and his shoes, he climbed over top of Zidane.

With a surprisingly impressive build, Braughn loomed over the blonde menacingly, "Comfortable, Emmy?" he asked with a sneer.

Zidane simply stared up at him, intimidated and frightened.

"Don't worry," he said, "It won't hurt... too much."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I've finished the story now! I'll be uploading a new chapter every day until it's out. Hope you enjoy the end. Would love to read some reviews =]**

*******

Blank was now climbing into a window on the top floor of Braughn's mansion. He had been following the noble and his best friend all day, but was sure Zidane was unable to see him. As he stepped softly onto the tiled floor of the bathroom he had entered, he hoped everything was alright.

He knew they had finished supper and headed to the noble's bedroom, but he was unable to get into the house right away. Those damned guards were everywhere! Cracking the door slightly and silently, he peeked out into the hallway. There was a guard conveniently stationed outside the door, and he seemed to be a little tired. Swiftly, he reached out and pulled the man in, knocking him on the head hard with the hilt of a dagger on the way.

He took the man's armour and put it on over his own clothes. Pulling the visor down on his helmet, he went to leave the room. Hesitating at the door, he turned around and lifted the man's money before he walked out into the hallway. Old habits of a thief die hard.

Blank found his way through the different halls to the entrance hall. He went to make his way farther through the mansion, frustrated it was taking him so long to find the right room, but was stopped by a guard who seemed to be the captain of this little group. Blank stopped and looked up at the bigger man.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, saluting.

"Why aren't you at your post?" the man asked in a deep voice.

"Well... I'm the new recruit sir, I don't know my way around the house very well," Blank bluffed, leaning on the hilt of his sword in case his lie didn't blow over.

"Oh right, where you supposed to be?" he asked, relieving Blanks stress.

"Well I'm supposed to be outside Lord Braughn's room," he commented.

"Oh, well then in that case," the guard gave him directions to the room.

"Thanks sir, I'll get there right away!" Blank saluted and ran off down the hall, proud of how well that went over. He'd have to tell Zidane all about it when this was over.

*

Zidane was now tied to the metal headboards by his wrists. He'd put up a fight, and apparently that was a mistake. Braughn was substantially stronger than him and had subdued him pretty fast. The noble was now cutting the front of the dress Zidane wore open. The blonde was nervous for when the noble discovered his little secret. He wasn't sure if Braughn had any attraction to younger boys.

"Relax, it'll hurt less if you don't fight it," the noble growled.

"It wouldn't hurt at all if you just left me alone!" Zidane stated, trying not to sound too frightened but failing miserably.

The noble just laughed, cutting the crossed ribbons on the corset part of Zidane's dress. It loosened immediately and he started ripping the fabric rather than cutting it. The blonde assumed this was to feed some need to be an animal. The front of his dress was open now and the noble was eyeing his body apprehensively.

"You're awfully flat for your age," he commented suspiciously.

"I... I know that... d-don't bring it up, it's embarrassing!" the blonde managed to blush, struggling more against the bonds on his wrists.

The noble started to pull the skirt off of Zidanes dress and the blonde bucked up and kicked him in the side.

"Feisty, aren't you?"

"Only when bastards like you are around," the blonde had become too nervous to remain composed and was slipping out of character. He desperately wished Blank would come in right now. Just burst the door down and save him. He wanted to see the noble's blood.

"I already told you, don't fight. I don't _want _to hurt you."

"Don't lie to me, you do so."

"..." the noble was angry now and tore at the skirt instead. It was starting to tear and Zidane was now terrified. He was very close to being exposed, so to speak.

"Stop! Stop!" the blonde begged, tears now in his eyes. He was only able to be so strong for so long. After all, he was only fourteen, how much can one kid take?

The noble just laughed, "How cute!" he grinned menacingly, "I told you! Just don't struggle!"

Just as the skirt was about to tear off, there was a firm knock on the door. The noble growled deep in his throat and sat up a bit.

"What do you want?" he called angrily to the door.

"Sir, there's something important I need to discuss with you!" came a voice from the other side.

"Well tell me later, it can wait."  
"It's about a trespasser sir! You might be in danger!"  
The noble considered this, his eyes darting between the little blonde, helplessly tied on his bed, and the door. He finally decided it was a good idea to find out about this intruder and lifted himself to his feet. Zidane noticed that Braughn was walking a little funny, fighting against the pressure against his pants. He grabbed a house coat and opened the door.

"Ye—"

Before the noble could finish his sentence, he was gagged and tied up. Zidane craned his neck from where he was on the bed to try and see past the door. It was directly blocking his view. Seconds later, Braughn was dragged back in by a guard who locked the door behind him. Dropping the noble on the floor where he was unable to move, the guard walked to the bed.

"Oh God, am I glad to see you," the blonde almost sobbed.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Last chapter. Please enjoy =] I hope I didn't end it too badly. If anyone thinks I should add to it, be my guest and tell me =] Thanks for reading! Goodbye for now!**

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"You look a little worse for the wear," Blank commented, lifting the helmet off, "Did he hurt you?" he asked concerned.

"Just where my wrists are tied..." Zidane tried to calm down as Blank crawled up beside him to untie him. His reflex would have been to jump up and cling to his friend, but Blank had already moved back to the noble.

"You are a sick man," he said to Braughn, pulling out the knife, "If I weren't such a good guy, I'd want to torture you."

The noble looked scared while writhing on the floor. Zidane sat up on the bed and watched, pulling the shreds of his outfit to him for warmth.

Blank looked over at him "You want to do it, or shall I?"

"I don't care, just get it done... now... please," the blonde looked away.

He winced as he heard a clean slicing sound and a gurgle as Blank slit the noble's throat fast. Blank pulled the body into the closet so the blonde wouldn't have to look at it.

"You wanna get home?" he asked gently.

"Please!" Zidane sobbed, clinging to his best friend.

"It's alright... we'll get outta here."

*

Blank watched Zidane closely as he changed from the ragged dress into his own clothes. They'd gotten out of the mansion through the bedroom window, Blank carrying the blonde on his back. His neck had been wet from the tears and he regretted putting Zidane in a situation like that at all. The guilt was weighing heavily on him as he watched the blonde with his red eyes sit next to him.  
"I'm really sorry, Zidane," he apologized, pulling the blonde into his arms.

"I understand. I don't mind anyways, you saved me in the end," Zidane almost whispered, clinging to his friend and snuggling under his chin. He was so glad to be somewhere comfortable again, especially in Blanks strong arms.

"No, I shouldn't have asked you to do something so dangerous," Blank kissed his head gently, lying back on the bed with him.

"No really, I'm glad it was me and not some poor girl."

Blank smiled and gently pulled the covers over them both, "You should get some sleep, we're gonna go see Murph tomorrow night."  
"Alright," and with that, Zidane was out like a light.

*

"Haha! Well done boys! The whole town's talking about that Braughn fella's death! No one's even got a clue!" Murph laughed as he handed the gil payment to Blank.

"Well, we have to do our best, if we get caught we'll be killed... even if we manage to get away from the guards! Baku'd have our heads," Blank laughed.

Zidane smiled as they waved 'bye to Murph and made their way out of Treno to the airship. When they climbed back onto the deck, they found Cinna messing with some kind of machine.

"Hey, there you are. Heard you did well!" Cinna grinned as Blank tossed him the bag of gil.

"Yep, you expected anything less?" he asked, starting below deck "Wake me up when we're back in Lindblum."

Cinna grunted "sure" and headed into the control room to start up the engine and get them on their way back home. While he did that, Zidane followed Blank down to the cabins. He popped into the room Blank was occupying before he could lock the door and locked it behind himself.

"Oh, hey Zidane, what's up?" Blank asked, sitting on the bed half undressed.

"I wanted to thank you," the blonde said, sitting next to him.

"For what? I didn't really do anything heroic, I was even almost late," he commented, stretching.

"Yeah, well I still appreciate you saving me," Zidane said, snuggling into Blank's chest and pushing him down on the bed. The blonde kissed him deeply, "So... thanks."

Blank smiled as the blonde pulled the covers over them while kissing him more and wondered if Cinna was going to rush to get home. He didn't mind terribly if it took a little while.


End file.
